Following the journey of award winning author, Alex Azar, as he travels the publishing world and all things interesting. To reproduce or publish any material found within this blog, please contact me at azarrising@hotmail.com

Friday, June 14, 2013

Free Thoughts 6/14/13

Although I may be a car owner and driver I long for the days when children ruled the road.  When yelling "car!" was the universal 'time-out' meant to get everyone to wait on the curb until someone else shouted back "game on!".  I'm not a fan of the deep retrospect of 'it was a simpler time' but it really is the truth.  Technology has changed so much in the way we develop, infiltrating our childhoods that the newer generation couldn't possibly relate.

I don't intend this to be a tech bashing post, for one reason, I simply wouldn't be able to write this, or you read this, if it weren't for the technological advancements made since we were children, and more importantly   I would most likely not be a published author if it weren't for the same or similar technologies.

This is directed to the disconnect that's created for children that is going to change interactions as they grow. And there are plenty of studies already out there and still be conducted about the difference in socializing from then and now and what it might mean in the future.

This is clearly not one of those studies. This is just my observations of parents shutting their children up with tablets, teens listening to their iPods or texting at the dinner table instead of participating in actual conversation.  Surely at this point I sound like a crotchety old man, but I'm only 30 years old (not helping is the fact I used crotchety)

The peak of this, and one of my most shameful acts with the fairer sex (and trust me there's plenty) came when I actually asked a girl out on a date through a text.  This is something I'm vehemently against, however I hadn't seen or spoken to this particular girl in any form for months.  Still no excuse, but I convinced myself that since we've never spoken on the phone before, it'd be too awkward to actually call her for the first time after so long of no communication to ask her out.  After pressing 'send' before she replied I really hoped she had enough morals to not say yes to a guy who couldn't bother to put himself on the line and at the very least call her.  And I can let you know she did in fact say no. Now, I have no way of telling whether that was because of how I asked or because she had no interest (come on, we all know that can't be the case... right?) but I'm content in believing that she had more respect for herself than that.

This is compounded with the knowledge that I was recently broken up with via text.  As upset as I was about the break up, my real issue was with how she went about it.  And I know in the long run I won't care how she did, but as it stands, especially immediately after it happened, it really bothered me.  This was a relationship that technology played very little in the development of.  I'm sure the amount of texting we did helped expedite us getting together, but it was inevitable anyway.  We weren't, nor currently are, 'friends' on Facebook.  We never Skyped or anything like that, so for her to break up with me like that was a cowardish move and I told her as much... in a text.  While part of me does believe you can be friends with an ex, not that I am with any, her and I do not talk, and I think a large part of it, is because of her method of doing so.

Why put out those embarrassing stories? Mainly because I have much worse ones already out there and I have no shame, but also to illustrate the fact that even as someone who grew up yelling 'car' I'm subject to the negative effects technology has on our socializing and implore you to teach those growing up after us to learn to shout back "game on!"

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Free Thoughts 6/1/13

I recently went to a Fall Out Boy concert, two nights ago to be exact, and while most everything I say in this post will point to the contrary, the fact is I really enjoy going to concerts.  The problem is there's so much that bothers me about them.

The major thing that gets me is this:





















Didn't we first build walls so we wouldn't have to cram together like this? It's unnatural, it's not fun in the least, it's not comfortable, and honestly it can't be too healthy either.  I don't understand the concept of squeezing as many bodies as physically possible to try to listen to the band/singer over the throngs of people screaming around you.  God forbid you want to piss or get a drink.

Which brings up two different issues.  No where are bathrooms filthier than at concert venues.  I'd rather poop at a McDonald's in Times Square than at a concert venue.

And while I understand a venue charging an obscene amount for drinks, I can't fathom the point of actually spending so much on alcohol that your body is just going to sweat out of you before you can feel any affects.

God forbid if you show up only five minutes before the doors open, now you're stuck either sitting on speakers rendering you deaf for the next three days, or you're behind a pillar and can't even see the stage, meaning you just spent a minimum of $50 to listen to a live album you could have heard on youtube.com.

For all the concerts I've been to (and it's been a good amount) I can't remember a single one where the average age of attendees was over 18, let alone over 21... Correction, I went to a DJ show with Q-Tip and Jazzy Jeff and that was a more mature crowd, and ironically none of the complaints I have here did I have to deal with then.

Also at this Fall Out Boy concert, something that's boggled me at nearly every other concert I've been to, is females crowd surfing in the most inappropriate clothing.  I'm talking about tube tops, spaghetti strapped tank tops, and/or skirts.  I'm a hetero guy, I enjoy seeing the naughty bits of (most) females, but if you're going to get upset about becoming exposed, have a little more common sense (I know, I know 'sense is no longer common' but come on) and dress the part if there's even a chance you might crowd surf.

Aside from FOB and the opening act, New Politics, putting on really good shows, the best part of the show (and I wish I had video of this) was watching the already packed crowd shift towards the front in waves.  Then throughout the show you can watch the ripples of one person move to the right cause the entire section to sway with them.  I looked down from my balcony perch in scientific amazement believing scientists could study the effects of the moon on the tide simply by watching a crowd at a concert.

The temperature of the room was absurd, so hot to the point security at the front of the stage was actually giving away free bottles of water the entire show.  I saw two people carried off, presumably because of heat exhaustion.  The effects of which were only made worse in my elevated position an arm's length away from the speakers.  My goal after leaving the concert was to take my pants off as soon as legally possible.

Which reminds me, no one looks good after a concert. Can't wait for the next one.